According to the WHO, health indicators are measurable aspects of a given population that researchers employ to justify their assertions about the health of that specific demographic. They typically comprise all comprehensive metrics that capture pertinent data on different aspects and qualities of the general public health of a country (WHO, 2019). Life expectancy, death rates, infant mortality rates, and crude birth rates feature among common indicators. A breakdown of similarities and differences between two key health indicators (infant and maternal mortality rates) in Nigeria and Japan form the basis of this paper.
Infant Mortality Rate
The number of deaths of infants less than a year old per 1000 live births is higher in Nigeria than in Japan. Many demographic studies reveal that IMR in most African states are usually high. Nigeria had this rate at 56.68 infants per 1000 births as of the year 2022 (Sasu, 2022). Contrarily, the IMR for Japan was estimated at 1.56 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2020 (Sasu, 2022). The Boshi Kenko, a Japanese maternal and neonatal guidebook, and the country’s developed healthcare infrastructure are credited for this low IMR. However, the similarity between the two countries’ IMR is based on the fact that this rate has been reducing over the last two centuries. For example, the IMR of Japan fell gradually from 12.33 deaths in 1970 to 1.56 deaths per 1000 live births in 2020 (WHO, 2019). The section below highlights how MMR compare across Nigeria and Japan.
Maternal Mortality Rates
The WHO’s 2021 report revealed that MMR is significantly higher in underdeveloped states compared to first-world countries. In 2017, approximately 917 expectant mothers died in Nigeria for every 100,000 live births (Sasu, 2022). Contrarily, in 2017, the MMR in Japan was approximated at five deaths per 100,000 live births (Sasu, 2022). However, the similarity between the two countries’ MMR is based on the fact that this rate has been decreasing over the last several decades. For example, Japan’s MMR has continuously decreased from around nine to five deaths per 1000 live births between 2000 and 2010 (WHO, 2019).
In summary, the IMR and MMR in Nigeria and Japan compare differently as highlighted throughout this paper. The study of these two key health indicators can help readers to understand the disparities in health between developed and underdeveloped countries.
References
Sasu, D. (2022). Mortality rate of infants under one year old in Nigeria as of 2022, by gender. Statista. Web.
World Health Organization. (2019). World Health Statistics Overview 2019: Monitoring Health for the SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals (No. WHO/DAD/2019.1). Web.